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Bali Vacation – Part 3

4. Sightseeing: Bali has got it all down perfectly when it comes to sightseeing. Barong traditional dance, Monkey forest, Arts and crafts market of Ubud, Hindu temple, Volcano-crater-lake – it is all there. Of all the sights we saw, seeing the Batur volcano from the facing hill was perhaps the best. It was cloudy that day, so the volcano top was covered with white creating a surreal experience.

5. Hindu Culture: Bali’s Hindu culture was clear in the first few minutes after we landed and as we drove to the hotel. The driver pointed out the big sculpture of Ghatotkacha en route, and mentioned that Ramayana and Mahabharata are highly regarded in Bali, along with the trinity of Gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. Bali is about 80% Hindu, and religion plays a big part in life here. One thought that I was struck with: India gave many elements of religion to the South-East Asian region, and we have for the large part forgotten it in our own country.

6. Geneva Handicraft Centre: There are many places to shop around in Bali for handicrafts. The one we liked best (and which I had discovered again via the Internet) was Geneva in Kerbokan. With three floors of stuff reasonably priced, it is a collector’s delight. As Bhavana looked around, Abhishek and I walked the streets outside to find a few interesting toy shops where Abhishek bought a few Angry Birds soft toys.

7. More Shopping: Among other places to shop are the Seminyak road, Carrefour building and Kartika Discovery Mall area. We are not much the experimenting kind, so we tend to stick to a few places we find and like. Other than that, of course, on can walk around various streets. Bhavana bought some glass stuff, purses, and other general stuff which we will probably add to the house and not look at much!